Dark Legacy
by Mors101
Summary: Two months after Jump City was thrown into chaos, the city is still recovering. How will the Titans deal with the legacy that the chaos left behind? Sequel to Dark Superman.
1. Prologue

I do not own the Teen Titans.

* * *

Prologue

A sunny day contrived to mock the five teenage superheroes as they fought in the gritty neighborhood of Jump City's Grid Row. It was the fifth major gang bust since the chaos that No Face had created two months ago, two months of some of the grittiest, dirtiest, most desperate fighting that they had ever undergone in their lives. Sure, gang members were not super powered, but they were desperate, and that alone made them almost more dangerous than some of the super villains that the Teen Titans had faced. Eventually, the Teens, and their police allies, emerged victorious.

"Automatic weapons, armor, good grief, what are we fighting, spec ops?" asked Beast Boy with a sigh.

"We should be glad they aren't," answered Raven, "a little training and organization and they could be an even greater threat." Beast Boy shivered a little at that, they were tough enough all ready.

"Well, it don't matter, because we kicked butt!" hollered Cyborg, always the optimist.

"Yes, but don't let it go to your head. We must be careful and train so that no one gets hurt," interjected Robin.

"Yes friends, victory is ours," added Starfire, clapping her hands at their victory over yet another vicious gang that had plagued Jump City since No Face had thrown the city into chaos. Beast Boy wondered where No Face had run off to; the Titans hadn't heard from him, nor had any surrounding counties or cities reported anything like him. Still, he had a pretty common MO: kill using whatever was handy. Beast Boy thought about him almost everyday, and was wondering if it was becoming an obsession. Still, he rationalized to himself, No Face almost unleashed the Beast inside me and almost killed me. It was normal to wonder what had happened to the guy who almost killed you.

"Beast Boy, are you alright?" asked Raven with a hand on his shoulder. He smiled at her; they had been going out ever since No Face had shot him, and he couldn't be happier.

"Yeah, Raven, I'm fine." After he said this, he saw a police officer walk up to Robin.

"You should see this, all of you." They followed the officer into an abandoned warehouse next to the gang's hideout. The first thing they noticed was the smell—it was the unmistakable smell of death and decay. The officer pointed to something on the wall: there, hanging on the wall like a trophy, was a skinned corpse. All the Titans gagged upon seeing it. However, it was what was under the skin that truly shocked them. There, written in blood, was a message: "Embrace the darkness."

* * *

This the sequel to Dark Superman. I intend for it to be darker than its predecessor. As usual, all the disclaimers about canon are issued, I am the author and thus, I have some creative license. However, I will try to stay as true as I can. Hope that you enjoy the story. Reviews are appreciated.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Blood, vengeance, that's all it wanted. All it wanted was the chance to seek vengeance on those that had driven it to this point; vicious, hot-blooded vengeance. Gangs, police, heroes, all carried blame, all were to be visited upon by vengeance.

* * *

"Do we assume the worse?" asked the new police chief, a tall, strong, older man named Ryan.

"I think we have to," answered Robin, "we have to assume No Face is back and up to his old tricks again."

"Then we have to assume that he's going to try to do exactly what he did before, destabilize the city by forcing the gangs to consolidate," responded Ryan, "therefore, I think that we have to move, in force, into the places were No Face ran rampant last time. I hope that we can count on the Titans for back up."

"Of course chief, you know how to reach us," with that Robin turned and walked out with his team in order to began to plan on how to finally defeat No Face.

* * *

The Titans had regrouped at Titan's Tower. Robin and Cyborg moved into the conference room to began figuring out how to deal with the imminent threat, Starfire had gone into her room to feed Silkie, and Raven went searching for Beast Boy. She found him on the roof, looking at the bullet holes that dotted the roof, souvenirs of his last battle with No Face.

"You alright?" she asked, worry evident in her voice.

"I don't know," Beast Boy admitted, his shoulders slumped, "he's different from the other villains. Sure, he's egomaniacal and all that, but he's evil. The others don't hold a candle to him, and he makes sense. He knows things, and that's the scary part. He's not a drone, or just plain superficial. He almost got to me, that's what scares me, he knows me, and how to get to me."

Raven walked up to Beast Boy. "You know, what he says may make sense, but it is only half true. Sure there may be darkness in people, but there is also goodness. I'm living proof. If a half-demon has the goodness inside to be a hero, how much more does a normal person have?"

"Sometimes I wonder Rae. I saw things…" Beast Boy trailed off with a shudder as he remembered the people in the warehouse who ate their own children to survive.

"So did I, Beast Boy. I saw a person fight his inner Beast, and win. I saw a group of people fight to keep the city sane, and who won," Raven grabbed both of Beast Boy's shoulders and forced him to look at her, "I saw good among the bad, Garfield Logan, and don't you forget it."

"You used my real name," Beast Boy said with a smile, "you must be really serious."

"You know that I am Beast Boy. Look, if you are worried about the Beast, just remember self-control. You are a person, and you can control that thing."

"I hope you're right, Rae, because I came a little too close to losing control last time for comfort." Just then, their communicator chirped. "Titans, get to the conference room for a briefing," Robin's voice came from around their hips.

When the Titans had assembled, Cyborg began to instantly kid Beast Boy and Raven, "Aww, where did you two love birds go? Head to the roof for a little personal time, eh?" Beast Boy began to blush while Raven pulled up her hood and encased Cyborg's head in black energy.

"Shut up, smart ass," she muttered. Cyborg nodded quickly. A quiet cough brought everything back to order as the Titan's looked at Robin.

"We've done some analysis on the crime scene," he started, "The victim was ID'd as Jose Patros, the head of a group of gangsters that controlled part of Skid Row during the No Face incident. He was very ruthless, and had many enemies. We can assume that it is No Face, because of the message scrawled underneath his body." Robin brought up the crime scene photos on the screen behind him. "As you can see, it was a very violent death."

As Robin scrolled through the photos, Beast Boy was troubled by something. They depicted massive violence to the corpse, and the skinning, upon closer inspection, was messy. It didn't fit No Face's calm, cool, ruthlessness. It looked like hot-blooded killing, not a cold-blooded assassination like No Face would do.

"Robin, why do we think that this is No Face?" asked Beast Boy unexpectedly.

"Why, the message. According to what you said, that was a bit of a mantra on No Face's part. It makes sense that he'd do something like this to strike fear in the city."

"But look at it, it's a mess. No Face never made a mess. He killed very coldly, but this looks like the killer went berserk on the guy. It just doesn't fit, it seems too emotional."

Robin paused and looked through the crime scene photos again. "You may be right, but what about the message? Why write that if you aren't No Face?"

Beast Boy couldn't answer the question directly, so he shrugged and said, "Look, I know a little more about the guy than you do. I'm just saying, it doesn't seem like him. Doesn't mean I'm right."

Robin nodded, "We have to assume the worst unless proven otherwise. It would be irresponsible to do anything else. So, let's go through what we have on No Face and plan a strategy."

Beast Boy sank back into his chair. He recognized Robin's fear. The return of No Face would threaten everything that the Titans had worked to rebuild in the two months since No Face left. However, he just knew, deep down, that No Face didn't kill the guy. "Beast Boy, are you with us?" Robin's voice brought Beast Boy out of his thoughts.

"What?" asked Beast Boy.

Robin sighed, "We are all going to fight him together. I don't want to take any chances with him, so no flying solo. As far as we know, he's only human. Work to our strengths: speed, strength, projectiles, telekinesis, and we'll win. Titans, dismissed." With that, all the Titans except Starfire left the room.

"Robin," she asked, "what will happen if No Face is successful once again." Robin looked up and saw the worry on Starfire's face. Like Beast Boy and Raven, he and Starfire had been going out ever since the No Face incident. It was hard, but he was opening up to her. For her part, she was showing a lot more patience and understanding about where he was coming from.

"It won't Star, I won't let it happen," he replied with determination in his voice. Starfire looked relieved at this, and gave him a hug.

"Thanks, boyfriend Dick!" she said, then turned and left the room. When she had left, Robin sighed and sank back down into his chair. He dearly hoped that he could prevent a repeat of last time No Face had arrived in Jump City.

* * *

The two policemen sat in their squad car at the corner of 5th and Main Street, right on the edge of Skid Row. It was night, and a fog had rolled in from the sea.

"Creepy, isn't it Bill," said the one in the passenger seat.

"Yeah, what I wouldn't give to be back in the squad room right now, enjoying a nice hot coffee instead of looking for a psycho in this fog," replied the driver. He rolled down his window and shined the light down an alleyway. "Nothing here, let's move on." With that, he started the car and slowly moved down the road.

They had stopped in front of the next alley, and Bill rolled down the window again to look down it. As soon as he did, the two officers heard an ear-piercing scream. Jumping out of the car with weapons drawn, Bill's partner began radioed in the disturbance.

"Dispatch, Car-07, we heard a scream, we're investigating."

"Roger that, Car-07," the calm voice of the dispatcher clashed with the nervousness that the officers felt.

Quietly motioning his partner to cover him, Bill started down the alley, both officers holding their guns and flashlights. About half-way down the alley, Bill heard a strangled gasp behind him and turned around to see a figured strangling his partner with a fine wire.

"Stop!" shouted Bill as the wire began to pierce his partner's neck, drawing blood. Looking into Bill's flashlight, he saw that the figure had no face and his hand began to shake.

"No Face," Bill whispered. Suddenly, the person began to laugh maniacally and, with a hard yank, decapitated Bill's partner. Shock slowing his reaction, Bill only stared as the faceless person leapt on a fire escape and climbed, vanishing in the fog.

Running to the squad car, he pulled out the radio, "Dispatch, we have an officer down. I saw No Face," he said very quickly, "need back…aughhh!" After the scream, the only sound that the dispatcher heard was static.


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Yawning and shivering, the Titans approached the police cordon that sequestered the crime scene from them.

"Dude, why do crooks have to kill people at 2 in the morning," whined Beast Boy.

"I hear you, grass stain, very inconvenient," agreed Cyborg. While he was part machine, his human half still resented getting up early.

"Shut it you two," barked Robin, "we wouldn't have been called out if it was just some trivial thing."

"There you kids are," said Chief Ryan, walking over to them, "two of my men were killed, and the dispatcher swore that she heard one of the officers say he saw No Face before the line went dead."

"But why is No Face attacking police? He never did that before," asked Raven.

"Well, we can't be sure," answered Ryan, "but I can send the dispatch tapes over to you guys if you want to hear them."

"You mean a copy, sir," corrected a dark, swarthy, scowling officer who stood behind Ryan, "we can't lose evidence." There was an undercurrent of mistrust and contempt in his voice, as if he was shocked that a superior would give evidence to costumed amateurs.

"You're right, Sergeant Rojas," sighed the chief as he escorted the Titans passed the yellow crime scene tape, "I apologize, there are still a few men in the force who don't trust you guys yet."

"After all we've done, why do they not trust us?" asked Starfire, the chief's words clearly hurting her.

"It has been better in recent months, but there is still some distrust. In the public, it's a little worse."

"I know," said Robin, a bit bitterly, "every once in a while, there is an editorial, or a protest, or something. Everyone is still recovering from two months ago."

"I know, but I think the city is coming around. I know that town hall supports you," said the chief encouragingly, "here we are, the coroner took the bodies, but I'll send in the crime scene photos later. But, I think that you can tell that it was a very violent struggle."

Robin nodded, and the rest of the Titans stared. Blood seemed to be everywhere, splattered on the side of the patrol car, in the alley, on the walls of the building, the whole area was drenched in blood.

"Was there another message, chief?" asked Robin. Ryan nodded and pointed to the squad car, "There, written in the back seat, probably with blood again."

Robin and Raven walked over to the squad car and looked inside. "All will be consumed," was the message.

"What do you think it means?" asked Raven.

"I don't know, I think I'll ask Beast Boy," responded Robin.

Beast Boy and Starfire, meanwhile, were searching the alleyway. Beast Boy was a bloodhound and Starfire used her star bolts to provide some light. Eventually, Beast Boy stopped and morphed back into a human.

"Ugh," he said in disgust, "the blood masks all the smells, I can't get anything. What about you Cyborg?" He turned to the mechanical man who was scanning the area.

"Nothing on infrared or ultraviolet spectrum that appears out of the ordinary," he answered.

Starfire sighed, "How will catch someone who leaves no clues?"

"Well," answered Cyborg, "a guy with no face can't be hard to track down, now can he?" With that, the trio walked over to Robin and Raven, hoping that they had better look.

"Beast Boy," Robin said as soon as he saw the three, "what do you make of this?" He gestured to the backseat.

Beast Boy looked at it and pondered, "I don't know, he never talked much about consuming anything. But, like I said Robin, I don't think it is him."

"But the officers said they saw him before they were killed," responded Raven.

"I know," said Beast Boy, "but there is something off. This is too violent, too messy. It just doesn't fit."

"And how would you know that?" the voice of Sergeant Rojas cut across their thoughts.

"Our friend was captured by the horrendous No Face fiend," Starfire said, "who then tried to get him to join him in his quest for the darkness, of course, Beast Boy categorically refused." Beast Boy was silent, he had never told anybody except Raven about how close he had come to embracing the darkness in him.

Upon hearing this, Rojas raised an eyebrow, "Well, it appears like your friend knows a lot about No Face."

Hearing the skepticism in the officer's voice, Raven replied, "Yeah, he does. But that doesn't mean that he's like him. Beast Boy is one of us." The hostility in her voice was palpable as she defended him.

"I see," muttered Rojas, and he turned back to manning the cordon.

"Ignore that bastard," seethed Raven to Beast Boy, who was resolutely looking down at the ground.

"Thanks, Rae, Star, I appreciate it," Beast Boy said.

Trying to break the tension, Robin said, "We've done what we can, Titans, let's go back home."

* * *

When they arrived home, each Titan returned to his room, except for Beast Boy. Saying that he was hungry, he went down to the kitchen and made himself a non-dairy cheese sandwich. He just sat there and thought about No Face and the Beast inside him. His brooding was interrupted when Cyborg entered the common room.

"Yo, BB, why are you still up?"

"I can ask you the same question," responded the changeling.

"Well, I'm waiting for the police to send over the crime scene photos and dispatch recording, so, I thought that I might as well get a snack. What about you?"

"Same," responded Beast Boy.

"Bull," said Cyborg, "you like sleeping more than eating. Something bothering you, is it the return of No Face?"

"No," Beast Boy said. He wondered whether he should tell Cyborg the truth about the effect No Face had on him. He just didn't want the others to not trust him. However, he could trust Cyborg, and Cyborg had also given him good advice before, almost as good as Raven's.

"You know the Beast, Cyborg?" when Cyborg nodded, Beast Boy continued, "he came out again, when I was fighting No Face. No Face stirred feelings in me; he brought out the Beast. He wanted me to embrace the Beast, become a superman and rule everyone who could not except their inner demons. Cyborg, I almost lost it with him. It is tempting, the power that I could have if I accepted the Beast. I don't want it to happen again. Rojas was closer to the truth than you guys guessed."

Cyborg was stunned for a moment, then he asked, "Have you talked to Raven about this?"

Beast Boy nodded, "She said that I could maintain control, that I've done it before. As long as I remember who I am and what I stand for, I won't lost to the Beast. She also said there is goodness in me, and I can never forget that."

"She's right, you know," said Cyborg, "you are a good guy, Beast Boy. You've done good things. Always remember what we do, what we fight for, and I'm sure that you can beat the Beast."

Beast Boy shrugged, "I guess you're right, but sometimes, I doubt, you know?"

"We all do, man," said Cyborg, "heck, even I wonder sometimes if it's worth it. I could be a great crook, you know. Hacking, fighting, stealing, but then I see the faces of the people whom we save, and it makes it all worth it."

Beast Boy nodded, "OK, but please don't tell Robin this. The last thing I need is for him to be restraining me in my sleep because he's worried about the Beast attacking his precious Starfire," the last statement was said in a half-serious, half-joking way.

Cyborg gave a chuckle, "That I'll do, don't worry."

* * *

The next day, the Titans were called into the conference room to review the crime scene footage from the last attack.

"It was very violent, a decapitation, with razor wire if the coroner is to be believed, and basically a mauling with a large, sharp object," said Robin, trying to keep his voice under control as the gruesome images popped on the screen.

"But why attack the police?" asked Raven, "that is not his MO, he was a vigilante to start out with."

"Because it isn't No Face," responded Beast Boy, "the guy who was mauled had post mortem injuries, No Face never did that, he killed them and left. This person had a grudge against these guys or something."

"But what about the testimony of the police?" interjected Starfire.

"I don't know," said Beast Boy, frustration evident in his voice, "a copycat?"

"Beast Boy, I know that you know No Face and all, but how can you be sure? I mean, we have an eyewitness and that message, which was his mantra," argued Robin.

"Look," Beast Boy said, exasperated, "I had to listen to this guy talk for hours, he showed me around Skid Row, I kinda know how he thinks."

"You can't be sure, he may have changed. No Face is insane, you can't gauge how an insane person will think," argued Robin.

"Why would he change?"counted Beast Boy.

"Enough," Raven raised her voice to be heard over the argument, "both of you make good points. But it doesn't matter who this is, he has to be stopped."

Once she was done, both boys looked at her. "She's right," said Robin, "this person has to be stopped. We're going to double patrols in the Skid Row, and we go out in pairs."

The other nodded, and prepared themselves for the lack of sleep that they would suffer until they could capture whoever was doing the killing.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Patrol sucked. They were conducted on such a schedule that a pair of Titans would patrol Skid Row every 6 hours, on the hour. Robin had suggested a patrol every 4 hours, but that had been met with more resistance than Starfire's bid to cater a party among the Titans, police chief, and the big wigs at city hall. The current schedule started at 6 in the morning. Outside of a few assaults and break-ins, it seemed quiet in Skid Row. It seemed that the patrols were working to prevent further killings. Beast Boy mentioned this to Raven as they rested on a roof in the middle of their midnight patrol.

"You would hope, but eventually No Face, or whoever is doing this, is going to figure out our patrol patterns."

"Man, why do you have to be such a downer?" said Beast Boy as he looked around, "you know, it's a lot nicer when there isn't fire everywhere."

"It isn't that nice to begin with," drawled Raven.

"Yeah, but it seems less threatening, I don't know," Beast Boy just rubbed the back of his head, "it seems different."

"Yeah, you're not with No Face this time," Raven smiled.

Beast Boy smiled back and grabbed her hand, "You're right. You're much better company than that faceless freak any day."

Their little moment was interrupted by a scream that came from down the block. Flying over to an apartment complex, the two heroes quickly checked out the situation.

"You go in as a mouse, and I'll phase through the walls," said Raven. Beast Boy nodded in response and made his way quietly down to a crack in the wall, became a mouse and went inside. Making his way through separate cracks in each room, he heard another scream come from somewhere above him. Turning into a cat, he quietly climbed the stairs. Eventually, he reached the second floor. As he reached it, Raven phased through the wall next to him. He nodded towards a door with a light coming from under the bottom of it. The two walked over to it and Raven knocked.

"Hello, we're the Titans, does anybody need help?" The only response she got was a scream. She nodded to Beast Boy who morphed into a bear and smashed the door in. Running in, the two heroes were met by another scream coming from the bedroom. Breaking in that door, Beast Boy quickly registered a woman tied to the bed, followed by a click, and Raven shouting, "Look out!" The next thing that he was aware of was a sphere of black energy covering him and Raven and an explosion rocking the building. After the dust had settled, Raven withdrew her shield and began to sink to her knees. Beast Boy quickly moved and held her up.

"That was a strong blast, it really took it out of me to protect us," she panted.

"You did well, I'll just call the others," supporting Raven with one arm, he reached for his communicator with the other, "Robin, there's been a bomb, we need support."

"Roger that," a yawning Robin said.

"Raven, did you save the woman?" Beast Boy asked softly, not wanting to upset her.

"I didn't even see her," Raven said quietly, her head bowed.

"It's alright Rae, you did what you could," Beast Boy held her a little tighter.

"So, you two survived, and after all the trouble that I went to!" came a voice from behind Beast Boy. Turning around, he saw a familiar figure in a brown trench coat and fedora.

"You," he said, in a low menacing voice.

"Yeah, me," said the faceless individual with a mad cackle, "now I'm going to finish you." With that, the person began to brandish a gun.

"Beast Boy, get out of here," Raven said from beside him.

"Not without you!" he replied before turning into a pterodactyl, picking Raven up, and flying out the hole in the side of the building as two bullets whizzed past him.

With surprising agility, No Face jumped from the same hole onto a fire escape, climbed up to the roof of the next building, and gave chase to Beast Boy and Raven, firing at them the whole while. Eventually, one of the bullets pierced Beast Boy's leathery wings and forced him to land on a building. This allowed No Face to catch up to them.

"Now I've got you!" shouted the figure as he jumped on the roof, "Now you shall pay!"

"Wait!" shouted Beast Boy as he stood holding his arm in front of where Raven had sank down, trying to recover in order to help him, "what do you mean pay? Pay for what?"

"For what you did! Everything, all the pain, all the sorrow, you shall pay, just like everyone shall pay!" shouted No Face. Beast Boy frowned, it seemed out of character for No Face to care about vengeance, or to care about any pain or sorrow that happened.

"Who are you?" asked Beast Boy.

"I'm No Face, of course—evil incarnate, darkness personified. I kill because I can," shouted No Face, laughing manically.

Beast Boy was puzzled; this wasn't how No Face acted before. This No Face seemed just mad, not cold and mad, just mad. "You're not No Face, he wouldn't give a damn about any pain or sorrow."

"You're wrong, I have embraced the darkness inside me, I have transcended such petty things as the law. You have all done me wrong, now I shall get my justice!" With that, No Face lifted a gun and pointed it at Beast Boy.

Right before the trigger was pulled; Beast Boy felt a pair of arms grab him and then felt himself sink downward. "Raven, you're better?" he asked hopefully.

"Not really, I just had enough energy to do that, we only got down one floor," she replied.

"Can you run?" Beast Boy asked.

"I don't think so, it took all that remained of my strength just to do that," she said. They heard the sound of a door opening down at the end of the hall and footsteps coming down the hall. The next thing they heard was the sound of a door opening.

"Hello, anyone home?" Beast Boy heard No Face's voice, followed by laughter.

Beast Boy pulled Raven into a dark corner and held her close to him, "When he opens the door, I'll jump him. You escape and get help, got it?" he whispered into his ear.

"But what about you? He'll kill you," responded Raven.

"This isn't the No Face we knew, I can handle this one," Beast Boy responded. The sound of gunshots, followed by screams told Beast Boy that they weren't alone in the building.

"Change of plan, I'll run out and distract him, you stay here and get Robin on the communicator," whispered Beast Boy. When Raven started to protest, he put a finger on her lips. "No arguing, we're heroes, and we can't let that madman kill everyone in the building in order to save our hides."

"But you're hurt," she said.

Beast Boy smiled, "'Tis merely a flesh wound," he joked.

"Look Rae," he suddenly got serious, "we're heroes. This is what we do, this is who we are. I cannot stand here and let a lunatic run rampant. I'll be fine, trust me." Raven looked down. Beast Boy reached down and raised her chin and kissed Raven. Hearing the footsteps coming closer, he pulled away.

"Love ya," he said to Raven with a smile, as he turned into a gorilla and smashed the door, "hey, ugly!" he shouted down the hall as Raven heard a shot. Beast Boy then morphed into a tiger and jumped down to the next floor. Raven heard more footsteps, pushed herself more into the corner in order to remain less exposed, and then heard the footsteps receding.

Hearing the sounds of battle get farther from her, she reached for her communicator, "Robin, where are you?" she hissed, "No Face is here and Beast Boy is fighting him."

"You were supposed to wait," Robin admonished, "what about you, are you hurt?"

"I'm fine, I just used up a lot of my powers protecting us from the bomb blast. And we couldn't help engaging No Face, he attacked us. When are you getting here?"

"Very soon," Robin said, "we went to the bomb area and couldn't find you. The police have a helicopter unit in the area, and we're coming to your signal. Just stay put." Easier said than done, thought Raven, she was worried about Beast Boy. She couldn't hear the battle anymore, and she hoped that Beast Boy had moved the battle towards their allies and wasn't dead. She choked a little at that thought, and sat in the dark room, trying to retain hope. In a little while, she heard a helicopter hovering overhead, and eventually, she heard the sound of feet running down the stairs that led from the roof.

"Raven," a familiar voice called, "are you injured?"

"I'm fine Cyborg, but we have to find Beast Boy," Raven could feel the panic well up in her.

"Don't worry Raven; I've got a bead on his communicator's signal. He's only about a block away," Cyborg reassured, "Robin, Starfire, and another helicopter are heading there now. We are to meet up with them."

With that, Cyborg helped Raven to her feet. Together they made their way, with a SWAT team, back to the helicopter. After a ten second flight, the two arrived where another helicopter was circling. It set down, and Raven, Cyborg, and the police got out. Raven looked around, hoping to find Beast Boy. Eventually, she saw him being helped to the roof via the fire escape by Robin and an officer as Starfire hovered over them. He had a couple more bullet wounds and was limping badly, but didn't look the worse for the wear. Relief washed over Raven as she tottered over to Beast Boy and pulled him into a hug.

"You're alive," she said into his neck.

"Yeah," Beast Boy winced as his wounds hurt as Raven held him tighter, "told you I could handle him. And Rae…"

"Yes, Gar?" she said.

"Do you mind not holding me so tightly?" he said sheepishly. Blushing Raven loosened her grip, taking the officer's place at his side supporting Beast Boy.

"What about No Face?" she asked.

"He ran off as soon as he heard the helicopters, and I told you, that is definitely not the No Face that started everything two months ago."

Raven said nothing as she got into the helicopter beside Beast Boy. The other Titans were going to conduct a thorough sweep of the area with the police. She just wondered what it meant for the Titans if Beast Boy was right. The thought of many No Face copycats wandering around made even the half-demon sorceress shiver.


	5. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Robin was on his way to visit Beast Boy in the infirmary. Walking in the afternoon after Beast Boy and Raven's encounter with No Face, or a copycat as Beast Boy insisted, he needed to debrief and find out Beast Boy's argument. Entering the infirmary, he saw Beast Boy lying on the bed with Raven sitting next to him.

"Excuse me, Raven, but I need to talk to Beast Boy," said Robin.

Raven eyed him, and for a second, he thought that she was going to argue. However, Beast Boy nodded at her, and she got up and left the room. Before exiting, she turned around and said, "I'll be back in a few minutes. Do you want anything Beast Boy?"

"Just some water, thanks," replied Beast Boy, "what do you need Robin?"

"Beast Boy, I need to know why you think that the person you fought last night was not No Face. I can't go to the police with hunches, and there are stories in the press saying many different things. We need a story that we can all agree on, we need to present a unified front to the public."

Beast Boy thought for awhile, looking out the window by his bed. It didn't seem that long ago that he was here in the same room, recovering from his first fight with No Face. "Well, Robin," he began, "for one thing, the killings. They're not consistent with No Face's temperament. I guess that they're too emotional. Along those lines, when we faced the person last night, they talked about revenge for pain and suffering. Why would No Face care about those things? He caused them."

"That's a good point. But still, it looks like him," Robin needed an explanation for that.

"I know, it is an almost exact copy," agreed Beast Boy, "however, the voice is slightly different. In addition, the fighting style is different."

"Different? How?"

"Well, when I fought No Face, he was a calm fighter. He always seemed in control, not just of himself, but the battle. He didn't give a damn about his opponent or himself, and it gave him a certain presence, you know? I didn't feel the same with the person last night."

Robin nodded. As a skilled fighter himself, he knew something of battlefield presence. "I would tend to agree with you Beast Boy, and there is some good stuff there. However, can we be positive?"

"Does it matter," said Beast Boy, "No Face himself, or a copycat, can we allow this person to continue doing what he is doing?"

"Of course not," replied Robin, "but, like I said, we need to start talking to the press. After last time, we cannot just let things get out of hand and hope that we can contain it."

Beast Boy snorted. He never had liked reporters. They cared more about the scoop than the facts. Ever since the Titans were driven from the city two months ago, it got worse. Many reporters, still seeking a scoop, followed the Titans closely, hoping to find another slip up. Beast Boy had even caught one going through their trash—he sent that guy packing. "Let's hope the press is in a mood to listen and not editorialize," he said. Robin just nodded.

At that moment, Raven came in. "Well, Beast Boy, thanks," said Robin, "I'm going to tell the police what you said and hopefully we can come up with a message to give to the public by the afternoon." With that, he turned and left the room.

"Here you go," Raven said as she offered Beast Boy a glass of water.

"Thanks, Rae," he said as he took it and gulped it thirstily.

"Don't drink so fast," Raven admonished, "so, are we having PR problems again?"

"I hope not," Beast Boy replied, "it was bad enough last time."

The mention of the incident two months ago caused Raven to look worried. "Gar," said Raven, using her nickname for him and looking down at her hands, "promise me that you won't leave me like you did two months ago. I…I was miserable. Wondering about you, hoping that you weren't dead…I couldn't take it again."

Beast Boy reached over and took her hand. "Don't worry Rae, I'll always be with you. Remember what I said two months ago? You still have the scrapbook, right?"

"Pictures are not enough anymore, Beast Boy, I need you, not just a picture," said Raven.

"Rae, we're heroes, we run risks like that every day. I don't want to be separated from you anymore than you do from me, but we have to accept the dangers of our line of work," Beast Boy tried to be consolatory.

"Then, maybe we should quit," Raven said as she gripped his hand tighter, Beast Boy was shocked by her response. "This time has been the first time in my life when I am truly happy. I'm happy around you Gar, and I get worried about you every time we get into a fight. I know that we are heroes and all that, but can't we just be normal? I mean, can't we live a normal life together, just be happy together and not have to worry that one of us will die fighting some lunatic?" By this point Raven was openly crying, Beast Boy was still trying to formulate a response to her, but she continued, "Last night, when you ran off to fight No Face, or whoever it was, I just sat in that room and panicked and worried. It felt like a cold hand had gripped my heart. Every lame cliché about worry and anxiety, I felt. I don't know if I can go on like this, especially with someone like No Face out in the city."

Beast Boy pulled Raven to him and just held her, letting her cry on his shoulder. The breaking of glass in the background just showed him how much this was affecting Raven, and he had to choose his words carefully. "Raven, I know how you feel. I do envy people who can go outside with their loved ones and hold hands and kiss and not have to worry about what is going on in the city. But, Rae, the truth is that we're special. We've been given the ability to protect these people. Now, I may not be the smartest person here, but I know that it would be irresponsible of us not to use these powers for good when we can."

Raven just cried harder, "As of now, I don't give a damn about the city. They abandoned us, Gar, they threw us out. We do so much, and that is what we get in return: abandonment, contempt, and heartbreak. We don't owe them anything; I just want to live for us."

"Isn't that what No Face believes," said Beast Boy quietly, "that we deserve to live selfishly? That our choices should not be constrained by the needs or considerations of anyone else?"

"Are you comparing me to that bastard?" asked Raven, pulling her face and scowling at Beast Boy.

"No, but it is a common trap to fall into, I almost did," replied Beast Boy, "why should we do what we do for others? After all, we are superheroes. However, during that fight with No Face, when you came on the roof, I learned that living only for yourself means leaving behind everything that you care about. If we abandon the city, Raven, what's to stop us from abandoning each other when the rough times come?"

Raven mulled over what Beast Boy had said, resting in his arms. Eventually, she calmed down and agreed with him. "You're right, for once," she said with a smirk, "I guess I let my emotions get away from me, I haven't meditated in awhile."

Beast Boy smiled. A joke from Raven, even one at his expense, was a rare treat. "Well, can your meditating wait for a bit, I'm quite comfortable," he said, smirking down at her as she lay in his arms.

Raven nodded and smiled as she snuggled closer to Beast Boy, "It can, I'm quite comfortable to."

* * *

Leading down into Jump City was a half-forgotten logging trail. It was almost never traveled upon, since it led down from the mountain, was quite dangerous, and not particularly scenic. However, today, a lone figure emerged from the path onto the outskirts of the city. He did not seem the type to be walking on a logging path; he wore a brown trench coat with the lapels pulled up and a brown fedora pulled down over his face. The whole getup prevented anybody from seeing the features of the individual's face.

Pausing on the road, the figure took in the city. "They've done a good job cleaning up," the figure thought to itself, "at least, superficially."

Walking at a steady, quick pace, he passed through the business section of town, passing by unnoticed by the mass of people moving to and fro. "People have such short memories," thought the individual with contempt, "they cannot remember anything passed the last meal they had. They just suppress everything, it's pathetic."

Eventually, the well-dressed person made it to Skid Row. Chuckling a little to himself, the figure worked its way to a warehouse. Walking inside, the individual looked around. It was a dilapidated building, many of the windows were shattered and shards of glass were everywhere.

"So, this is where it began," thought the person. Walking over to a corner, he pulled out a dingy looking crate and sat down on it. He was a very good planner, and knew that it would be a little while before his quarry showed up. Allowing himself a chuckle, he knew that this trip to Jump City had much more potential than his last. At the very least, he'd be able to see his doppelganger for himself. He had already formed his plans for his "twin," now he just had to execute them. However, he knew that he would. After all, he is No Face, and he is a good planner.

* * *

I'm heading off to college, so it may be awhile before I get a chance to update again. Sorry for leaving you guys in the lurch with a cliffhanger like this, but it had to be done. Hopefully, I update sooner than I expect. Anyway, thanks for the reviews. And, for those who noticed, I did adapt the name Rojas from The Batman. It seemed fitting, seeing as they both act similarly towards the costumed heroes (for the record, in case anyone cares, I don't own Chief Rojas from The Batman.)


	6. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

No Face sat in the corner, and waited. Eventually, the door to the warehouse creaked open. In walked a figure. Walking over to a pile of crates in the corner, the person pulled off a tarp and opened it. Immediately, a wretched stench began to permeate the area.

"Soon, my baby, soon it will be over," the figure crooned as it looked down into the crate. Getting up, No Face quietly walked to the figure.

"I knew that you'd be here," he said when he was a few yards behind the figure. It quickly spun around, and looked at No Face.

"You!" It was like looking into a mirror, the figure was an exact replica of No Face.

"Don't you me you?" asked No Face.

"I'm going to kill you!" snarled the figure, as he reached into his trench coat.

"No, you're not," countered No Face, the complete calm in his voice caused his doppelganger to pause, "I know who you are, or were. And you can't kill me, no more than you can kill yourself. After all, you have sought to become me." Slowly, the two began to circle one another, No Face's copy keeping a hand in his trench coat, and No Face just remained calm.

"Imitation is the highest form of flattery, by adopting my identity; you seek my approval, you can't kill me, because then I could not give you my approval." His response gave his double pause.

"Why are you here?" he asked No Face.

"Your existence is, in no small part, my doing. You are part of my legacy. I wish to see what I have left behind. In addition, I wish to meet my doppelganger."

"Out of idle curiosity?" asked said doppelganger.

"My reasons are my own," replied No Face, cryptically, "however, I am willing to help you."

"Help me with what?" replied No Face's mirror image cautiously.

"Why, to defeat the Titan's of course," replied No Face, "remember, I fought them quite successfully if you remember."

"But, didn't they defeat you?" interrupted No Face's doppelganger.

A humorless laugh came from No Face, "No, not necessarily defeated, but Beast Boy proved more resilient than I first planned. But then, the best laid plans of mice and men are destroyed by the oddest things." It was obvious that the No Face imitator was a bit confused by this statement, but No Face just shrugged it off. "Let's just say that I have some new plans for the Titans."

"So, I become a tool in your plan, why should I do that?"

"It will allow you to get vengeance on the people who did this to you, to your baby. Remember, the Titans stood by and let me do this. You were abandoned to the chaos, you are a victim, and you are now rising up to destroy them," replied No Face smoothly.

"So, you will allow me vengeance?" asked the imitator eagerly.

"I help you get your vengeance," assured No Face.

"How?"

"I can supply you with things that you do not now have, guns, explosives, locations. I waged war on this city once; giving you the ability to take vengeance on a few people is relatively simple."

"How soon can you give me these things?"

"I arranged for all the material to be sent to a safe house a few blocks away. There, you will find a map with the keys to some of the abandoned buildings scattered throughout the city. Can you plan how to use these tools?"

"I think I can," retorted the imitator, with some scorn in his voice.

* * *

No Face walked out of the safe house, which was little more than a small shack in the middle of Skid Row. His imitator was inside, going over the selected weapons that were stored there. In addition, the map and keys to the area would require some going over. No Face had suggested, subtly, a plan that was quite suitable to his needs, and he knew that the imitator would adopt it. His doppelganger was highly malleable.

No Face inwardly smirked at that. His shadow was pathetically malleable really. This imitator, he thought with an inward sneer, was not strong enough to find an identity by himself, so he had to make up one for himself. He was, in no way, worthy of any sort of approval. However, he would serve a purpose. After all, thought No Face, the strong have a right to bend the weak to their will. It had happened according to his plan, but there was no doubt about that. After all, No Face was a notoriously good planner.

* * *

"An imitator!" exclaimed a shocked Chief Ryan, "one was bad enough, but an imitator? Are you sure about this Robin?"

"As sure as we can be, chief," replied the leader of the teen heroes, "Beast Boy is positive, and he is the one that fought No Face the most last time."

"Yes, but can we trust him?" asked a man sitting in the corner. Robin recognized the assistant District Attorney, Coy James.

"Of course, he's one of us," replied Robin confidently, "I completely vouch for him."

"But, by your own admission, he spent a lot of time with No Face before, much of it alone and definitely not in combat. What explains that? Why didn't he try to get away?" replied James.

Robin began to get frustrated. To him, this attitude was too much like the one that got the Titan's expelled from Jump City before. He knew that James was a cautious man, and sought to prevent any distrust from growing by going on the offensive. "I trust Beast Boy with my life, councilor. Also, we have an empath on our team. If he was lying, or if there was anything odd going on, we'd know."

"But isn't that same human lie detector also Beast Boy's girlfriend? All I'm saying, Robin, is that Beast Boy's actions were suspicious. In fact, we've been monitoring his actions ever since No Face returned. We cannot be too careful, especially with someone who has spent so much time with No Face."

Robin was shocked. Here was a city official who not only accused a member of his own team of being in league with the worst criminal that the Titans, and the city, have ever faced, but who also had been spying on a team member without his approval. "I do not appreciate the District Attorney looking into my team without my permission. It brings my integrity into question. Chief Ryan, could you please tell Mr. James that the Teen Titans were, after the No Face incident, beyond compliant with cooperating with the police and the city in setting terms for how we act, including having a citywide referendum on our further status here when we had finished cleaning up the crime."

Chief Ryan looked miserably down at his desk. Truth be told, he liked the Titans, they had done a lot for him and the city. In addition, they were very helpful and polite. But when James had come to him with the story of Beast Boy, he couldn't help but be a little suspicious. This was something that Robin hadn't told him. So, he had agreed to help the DA with their surveillance. "Robin, you have to admit that it looks a little suspicious. Beast Boy is the main driving force behind this theory, and we have no way of proving or disproving this theory otherwise. No Face, as you know, has a very skeletal MO and we have no way of discerning why he does things," Ryan kept looking at his desk as Robin just stared at him, "we have to keep our bases covered."

"I can't believe this," Robin said, "Chief, we trusted you. We trusted you to help us show the city that we were its allies. The same goes for you, James. If you have doubts about my team, talk to me about it. I assure you that I would be more than cooperative."

"Would you Robin?" countered ADA James, "you seemed a little defensive just a minute ago."

Robin just stood for a minute speechless. "Fine, if it will help to ease your troubled minds, I'll talk to Beast Boy, and then you can talk to him."

Chief Ryan looked up, relieved that Robin did not want to seem to press the issue and be obstinate, "That would be great Robin, we would very much appreciate that."

Coy James said nothing, he just sat in the corner and looked at Robin. Eventually, he nodded his assent. "Yes, that would be a good start."

* * *

I apologize for the long delay. Hopefully, it hasn't affected the story. Anway, I will try to update sooner, but I have a lot on my plate right now.


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Robin was miserable. Two months of planning, of gaining the trust of the city and its authorities, and they still didn't trust his team, or more precisely, Beast Boy. True, to an outside observer, there was some suspicion there. To a stranger, Beast Boy saying that "No Face had a way about him, and there was nowhere for me to go," was not a good reason. But Robin was not a stranger. Reaching to parking garage under the Tower, he got off the R-cycle and sighed. He was going to have to prep Beast Boy for the upcoming police interrogation.

As was becoming more common, Starfire met him in the garage. "Robin, how great to see you!" she shouted as she hugged and kissed him.

Robin gave a wan smile, she did lift his mood a little, "Hey, Star," he said, returning the hug.

"Are you not well Robin? You seem to be upset," Robin frowned at her. He knew she would figure out that he was upset, and that she would be even more upset when he told her the reason. She took the public's perception of the team much more seriously than anyone else. A byproduct of her being royalty, Robin assumed.

"It's the police, they don't trust Beast Boy and want to question him," Robin replied, the frown still on his face.

Surprisingly, Starfire did not explode in righteous fury. "Robin, you must have seen this coming. We know friend Beast Boy, we know he would never collude with No Face, but they do not know that." Robin frowned again, Starfire had said "they" in a way to suggest that she had nothing but contempt for them. Considering what had happened to the Titans, it was not an unexpected emotion, but it was surprising coming from the usually compassionate alien. Worry showed on the alien's face as she continued, "Will Beast Boy be put back in jail?"

"Not if I can help it," Robin assured her. There was no way that Beast Boy was a criminal, and there was no way he was going to jail. Starfire smiled, she knew that if Robin promised it, he would follow through on it; it was one of the reasons why she loved him. Taking his arm, she followed him into the elevator, wishing to be there to help Beast Boy with Robin.

* * *

At the moment that Robin was pulling into the garage, Beast Boy was standing on the roof of the tower. It was logical, he thought, that an imitator would wish to ape No Face. The notoriety of the name would strike fear in the hearts of most people, something that an up and coming villain would want. However, it was also dangerous. Beast Boy had a feeling that No Face would not allow just anyone, if anyone, to assume his persona. He would view it as a weakness, Beast Boy knew. An abuse of what No Face stood for—it was not transcending anything, rather it was accepting a limitation: the limitation of a name and what that name stood for.

Beast Boy pulled a wry grin. He realized that he knew a lot more about No Face's beliefs than he would like. He heard the door to the roof open, and recognized the footsteps and smell of lavender as that of Raven's.

"Beast Boy," she deadpanned, "Robin would like to see you in the common room."

"You don't sound too happy," Beast Boy replied.

"It's about the police, they don't trust you," responded Raven, her voice carefully controlled. Beast Boy heard the strain under her voice. He knew that this was bringing painful memories of two months ago to all of them. Sighing, he turned around and walked to Raven and pulled her in his arms.

"It will be alright, Raven, trust me,"

He felt her arms reach around him. She was responding to him, seeking something solid to hold onto. "I hope so Beast Boy. I so dearly hope so." With his arm still around her, they walked back into the Tower.

* * *

Beast Boy sat in the common room facing Robin. All of the Titan's were present, they were all equally worried about their green friend.

"Beast Boy, I know that you're not in league with No Face. However, the police aren't sure, and they want to talk to you," Robin began, "they may give you a polygraph, I don't know, I just want to go over your story and make sure that it is clear what happened. OK?"

"OK," the usually goofy Beast Boy was very serious, something that he had become uncomfortably used to in the last two months.

"Why did you stay with No Face for so long?" asked Robin.

"I'm not sure. Some people have charisma, I guess he had it. Plus, where would I go? The city hated me, he offered some protection at the least," Robin winced, it was not the best answer, but at least it was consistent with what he had heard.

"Did this charisma affect you?" Robin asked, knowing that Beast Boy had flatly denied this last time. Beast Boy paused, looking at Raven and Cyborg. They both knew about the Beast, and they were the only ones besides No Face. Beast Boy was torn, he felt that he should tell the truth, but it would mean that the Titans would lose even more trust. To lie, he realized, was denying the Beast. To tell the truth, Beast Boy thought, would mean that he was accepting the Beast, in some limited way. He could not do that.

"Of course not, I'm a good guy," Beast Boy said. Off to the side, he saw Raven and Cyborg relax. He didn't like lying to Robin, but it was better that he didn't know about this fact. Beast Boy knew that an essential part to the fragile trust between the Titans and the police was Robin's complete honesty. It would not be fair to put him in a position of lying to the police for his friend, or keeping the trust of the police.

After Robin was thoroughly satisfied with Beast Boy's answers, he decided to end the interview. "Tomorrow, Beast Boy, you and I will go to the police station,"

"I will be there as well," Raven interrupted her leader, behind her, Cyborg and Starfire had their faces set. Robin knew that they were going to insist on going with him and Beast Boy.

Robin smiled, he really liked it when his team came together. "Fine, _we_ will go to the police station. They will most likely ask you the same questions, and I want you to answer the same way. Hopefully, that way, we can put this whole ridiculous business to rest."

Beast Boy nodded, it was nice to have the trust of his friends.

* * *

Raven found Beast Boy on the roof again.

"You're starting to take this spot from me," she said.

"Was that a joke I heard?" replied Beast Boy, grinning at her as he put an arm around her shoulder.

"Maybe you're rubbing off on me," Raven replied, grinning in response.

"I hope so, and I hope that your calmness is rubbing off on me," Beast Boy replied.

The two just stood on the roof, staring at the sunset. They stayed that way for awhile. It was something that was unique to their relationship; they were very comfortable with each other's silence.

"Whatever happens, Beast Boy," Raven broke the silence, "I will not let you go. I will always be there for you."

She looked up. To her surprise, she saw a single tear flow down Beast Boy's face. "Are you OK, Beast Boy?" she asked. She had almost never seen him cry.

Beast Boy sniffed, trying hard not to cry, "Remember when you told me that you have never been happier than these past two months?" Raven nodded, and Beast Boy continued, "Well, that goes for me to. After the whole No Face debacle, being with the team, being with you, meant so much more to me. Now, it is all happening again. Raven, I don't think I can do it again. I'm not strong enough to go through everything again, to leave you, to leave my family." The thought of losing them once again overwhelmed Beast Boy, and he started to breakdown.

Raven understood. It was not particularly well articulated, but it was the exact fear that she had undergone many times: with Trigon, with the Brotherhood of Evil, and with No Face. The Titans were her family. To lose them would be crushing. With Beast Boy's past loss of so many families, she knew he felt the same. Pulling Beast Boy close, she allowed him to cry on her shoulder.

"Beast Boy, I will never leave you. I promise, not matter what happens," she said soothingly as she stroked his hair. They stayed that way for awhile, as Beast Boy cried out all his worry and anxiety on Raven's shoulder.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 7

"So, what do you know about No Face?"

Beast Boy squinted into the bright light. Really? He thought. Two hours of interrogation, and the same question over and over and over again. He told them. He told them of No Face's philosophy, his actions, his battles. He described, in vivid detail, the little excursion into the warehouse. Time and time again.

Yet the police kept at it. Beast Boy had to hand it to them—they knew that he was holding back. They didn't trust him as much as Robin did. It made lying about No Face's effect on him very hard.

"I've told you guys," he answered. Was he sweating? Damn. Dead giveaway—the guilty always sweat in interrogation.

"Yeah, we know." Rojas. His eyes were glowering down at Beast Boy. To be fair to the man, he was not prejudiced. This was his city to protect, just as much as there's. In his eyes, the existence of masked heroes only added to the city's problems, each of them was capable of being master criminals. He didn't trust them as far as he could throw them. In his eyes, any mutant was capable of doing exactly what No Face, Jinx, Mammoth, or any other criminal with super powers did. What was to stop them from suddenly turning on the city? Nothing. It made more sense to him to have them exiled or somehow separated from society.

The two men stared at each other, distrust in the eyes of one, exhaustion in the eyes of another.

* * *

On the other side of the two-way glass, four pairs of eyes watched the interrogation.

"Robin, why does he keep asking Beast Boy the same thing over and over again?" the earnestness and innocence in Starfire's voice masked an irritation that Robin picked up on. In response, he glowered through the glass.

"He doesn't believe him, Star," Cyborg spoke up in the intervening silence.

"But why?" Cyborg just shrugged.

"He doesn't trust any of us," Raven replied. Her hood was over her head. "I sensed it as soon as we walked in. He's taking his distrust out on Beast Boy." Underneath her monotone, Robin sensed disgust. He couldn't allow his team's anger and frustration over a petty police sergeant to ruin all that they've tried to rebuild in the last two months.

"Calm down," he spoke commandingly, "what we're doing here is important for our future as the heroes of this city. I won't have anyone ruin this by saying," he looked pointedly at Raven, "or doing anything stupid. If you can't handle this, then please wait outside the observation room."

None of the Titans moved. Each felt they owed it to their friend. Robin knew that the silence, even if it was a tense one, was still a recognition of what he said. Hopefully¸ Rojas didn't do something stupid. If he did…

Robin's train of thought was interrupted as the door abruptly opened, showing Chief Ryan standing in the doorframe. "Rojas wants a polygraph for your friend," he said. There was an apologetic look in his eyes, but Robin understood that he couldn't undermine a subordinate, especially one who was apparently a very good negotiator, such as Rojas.

Robin nodded, "You'll have to clear it with Beast Boy." Ryan acknowledged him and left again.

* * *

"Alright, Beast Boy, we are going to take a polygraph test," said the psychiatrist, "I'm going to ask you some questions to gauge your responses."

Beast Boy nodded. The sooner this was over, the better. He hated being attached to machines, they were sterile and unfeeling. The animal in him always rebelled against it.

"What is your name?"

"Beast Boy." The man in the chair nodded to himself as the machine beeped and whirred. Beast Boy sighed. Soon, he could go home.

* * *

The titans turned around as the door to the observation room opened again.

"We have a problem," said the chief, "No Face has been sighted downtown. Apparently, he's starting where he left off—creating hell. I don't care about the political consequences. I want you guys to help out."

As soon as he said this, the Titans jumped up, only to remember their teammate.

"What about Beast Boy?" asked Starfire.

"He'll have to stay. It is department policy that people being interrogated stay in custody until the completion of the interrogation."

"But he can walk out, unless you're arresting him," Raven spoke up from the back.

The Chief sighed, "No, we aren't. However, considering the circumstances, don't you think it's best? He's here because of apparent ties to No Face, what do you think would happen if he came with us and No Face escaped, or did some huge amount of damage?" Raven narrowed her eyes under her hood. Robin may trust the police, but she didn't. She still remembered the state of the jail that Beast Boy was thrown in. However, Robin spoke up before the chief could speak.

"Fine, just watch over him. Remember, No Face targeted him last time."

This comment brought Raven up short. That's right. No Face did go after Beast Boy. Could this be a ploy? But how did he know that they would be in the police station and that Beast Boy would be interrogated?

"Rae, yo Rae!" Cyborg's shouts brought her out of her reverie, "Are you coming or what?"

Raven paused. She wanted to stay with Beast Boy, just in case her hunch was right. However, she could not abandon the team based on her hunches. Beast Boy would not abandon the team, nor want her to. Setting her face, she turned and marched out the door.

* * *

Beast Boy looked up when the door opened. Chief Ryan walked in and nodded at Rojas, who got up and walked out. Beast Boy turned to say something; but the psychiatrist was still calibrating the machine and not paying any attention. When he finally looked up, he appeared shocked for a second.

"Hmm, he must have gotten a call," the doctor mused. Beast Boy just cocked an eyebrow.

"Well," explained the spectacled man, "we usually don't remove the officiating officer from interrogation. However, if there is an emergency and all the stops have to be pulled out…" the man trailed off and shrugged his shoulders, apparently unconcerned.

"Trouble?" Beast Boy shot up from the chair, "What if it's No Face?"

"Then he's there and not here," responded the psychiatrist, "so let's just finish the interrogation."

"But, he's dangerous," Beast Boy spluttered.

"Yes, and the police consider you dangerous to," replied the doctor calmly, "if you go running off, what will the officer on duty think? The sooner this is done, the sooner we can have results."

Beast Boy sat back in the seat, glowering rebelliously, than shot back up. "My friends!"

"What?" asked the bemused man.

"If it is No Face, they probably went to help, I have to go!"

"Beast Boy, they are superheroes. I'm sure that they can handle a single villain by themselves."

"You don't understand," shot back Beast Boy.

"No," the psychiatrist responded sharply, "you don't understand. I'm on your side. If you want to help, I mean really help, than you will finish this test and get cleared. Then, you will have the full trust and cooperation of the JCPD. Besides, it isn't department policy to let a person out of interrogation until the questioning is done."

* * *

"I need a sit-rep now!" Chief Ryan was yelling into his radio as the SWAT van with him and the Titans rolled up 3rd Jump City Bank.

"Sir, we've lost contact with Alpha team. We've already lost two men to sniper fire and the whole place is covered with booby traps."

"Shit," Chief Ryan cursed as he threw the radio down. 3rd Jump City Bank was built like a fortress, everyone knew that. Formerly a laundering area for the mob, the police managed to clear it out and the business was now legitimate. However, the old mob hiding holes and tunnels were still in place. No Face could be anywhere.

"Chief, you have to let us go in, we can move quieter and quicker than your men," Ryan looked down at Robin and nodded. Now was not the time for pride to take over.

* * *

"Cyborg," whispered Robin into his communicator, "what do you see?" With the power cut, he was counting on Cyborg's infrared vision to show traps and Raven's power to deactivate them.

"Claymores, a whole ton of them, and Alpha team, I think." The metallic teen shivered. He still wasn't used to the sight of dead bodies, and it appeared that Alpha team had walked into a literal maze of claymores. He swore that there was not a single attached body part.

"How did he acquire so many high-grade military explosives?" asked Raven. Robin just shrugged in response and indicated for Raven to power the mines down. As she was dismantling them, he noticed red dot suddenly appear on Starfire's head. Thinking quickly, he tackled her, feeling a bullet graze the back of his uniform.

"SNIPER!" he yelled as the other Titans took cover.

Suddenly, a maniacal laugh was heard, echoing off the walls of the cavernous hall.

"Come into my parlor, said the spider to the fly," suddenly, a giant explosion rocked the hall.

"Get out, he's trying to bring the place down," Robin was yelling as he ducked for cover. It appeared that explosives had been planted on the pillars holding the ceiling up. The falling dust and debris did not bode well for the stability of the structure. Suddenly, he felt a pull. Looking up, he saw that Starfire was pulling him into a portal created by Raven. After a feeling of being stretched thin, he popped out into the police cordon as the roof of the building collapsed. He slammed his hand into a nearby vehicle as medics rushed over to look at his back.

"Damn it all!"

* * *

Beast Boy was fidgeting nervously. Only a couple minutes had passed since the Chief and his friends had left. The doctor was still working on the machine. Apparently, Beast Boy's DNA was not the only thing that was affect by his changing ability.

His keen hearing heard a faint shout down the hall, but he discounted it. After all, it was an emergency, or so he had been told. Shouting was normal, right?

The sound of shoes hitting the floor told him that someone was approaching the room. Maybe it was the Chief, telling him he was free to go. Suddenly, the door swung open and Beast Boy heard something like soft burst of air. Looking at the chair the psychiatrist was just occupying, he saw that it was empty.

Upon closer inspection, though, he saw that the wall was painted with something that looked like chunky ravioli and a pair of brown loafers was showing from the side of the desk. With a cry of shock, Beast Boy jumped out of the chair and put his back to the wall. Looking towards the opened door, he first saw a glint of black metal as a gun was leveled at his head. Following the arm up, he saw a body concealed with a familiar brown trench coat. Eventually, he looked up at the face and brown fedora, and his blood ran cold.

"Hello, Beast Boy," the cold voice chilled Beast Boy, "long time no see."

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it has been so long. Life is a busy thing. Anyway, I hope to start picking this story up again. Thanks for the reviews, everyone.**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 8

_Upon closer inspection, though, he saw that the wall was painted with something that looked like chunky ravioli and a pair of brown loafers was showing from the side of the desk. With a cry of shock, Beast Boy jumped out of the chair and put his back to the wall. Looking towards the opened door, he first saw a glint of black metal as a gun was leveled at his head. Following the arm up, he saw a body concealed with a familiar brown trench coat. Eventually, he looked up at the face and brown fedora, and his blood ran cold._

"_Hello, Beast Boy," the cold voice chilled Beast Boy, "long time no see."_  
___________________________________________________________________________________

Before Beast Boy could move, he heard another puff of air and felt a tremendous amount of pain in his left kneecap. Falling down, he looked up only to see No Face's silenced gun pointed right between his eyes. Panic rushed through Beast Boy, was he going to be kidnapped again? Was he going to die?

"I see you haven't accepted death yet," observed No Face, "it always was a weakness."

"There is no need to accept death," gasped Beast Boy, "it is instinctual to try to live."

"It doesn't make it right. Death is inevitable. Acceptance of that fact is surprising freeing. It removes another set of constrictions on one's actions," No Face pulled out one of the chairs at the interrogation table and sat down, "However, I did not come to lecture you. I have a feeling that you have a decent grasp of my ideas."

Beast Boy could only nod. He was still bleeding, and getting slightly light-headed. His leg hurt like hell and there was no way that he could put weight on it. No Face noticed his discomfort.

"Large caliber," he nodded towards his gun, "it would've torn right through the bone and muscle. You'll be lame for awhile, and probably have a limp until the day you die. But we'll see. A combination of a sorceress for a significant other and your own unique genetic makeup may defy nature."

"Fuck you," Beast Boy gasped out.

His antagonist let out a chuckle. "I wonder, you seem to be a bit passive about all this. Isn't the wounded, cornered animal supposed to strike back." With this, No Face got down to face level with Beast Boy. Beast Boy could only stare back into the featureless plane of what appeared to be skin before spitting into it. At this, No Face burst out laughing.

"You do have some fight in you, I guess that wound knocked out your ability to transform. Well, that's one question answered."

"What..." Beast Boy began, pain preventing him from forming a cogent sentence.

"What am I doing here?" No Face seemed amused, "Well, I think you could guess."

"The other..." "Good job." No Face looked around. "So, is this how the JCPD treats superheroes now? I see I made a lasting impact."

Walking over to Beast Boy's wounded leg, No Face put his foot on the wound and pressed down. As Beast Boy began to scream, he continued, "You know, you deserve better. In fact, you believe you are entitled to better. You are, in theory." He added a little more pressure. "But not in practice. After all, you are their tool. You just exist to contain order—their order. Civilization needs you, but do you need civilization?"

Pausing suddenly, No Face cocked his head towards the door. With Beast Boy's animal hearing, he heard it to. A moan came from the main office. Stalking out, No Face left Beast Boy alone. Crawling over to the table, Beast Boy tried to reach his communicator. The bleeding was slowing, but Beast Boy could still feel the gaping hole in his leg. He had made it and grabbed his communicator when it was shot out of his hand.

"Now, now Beast Boy," No Face said, "we still have a few minutes before your friends return." He was dragging a wounded officer behind him. No Face tossed him into a chair, and Beast Boy saw that he had a bullet wound in his chest.

"My aim must be off, I thought I got everybody. But, no matter, the situation will be fixed," No Face commented as he pulled out a combat knife. Beast Boy saw the man's eyes widen as she looked at the knife.

"Stop!" Beast Boy's voice was strong considering his state.

"Make me," replied No Face quite calmly as he pulled the officer's face back with him hair. Waving the knife in front of the man's face, No Face asked, "Well, how many years have you been on the job, son?"

"One," the man gasped as Beast Boy saw some blood dribble from his mouth. He looked young, with bright blue eyes and a shock of blonde hair.

"Why'd you join the force?"

"Stop people like you," the man's voice was almost a whisper, but there was a note of defiance in his answer.

"Well, you failed."

Turning to Beast Boy, who was lying next to the table, No Face said, "He was one of the two cops left here, must be because he was a rookie. Right, rook?" No Face punctuated this with a sharp tug on the man's hair. "Rook, you married, any family?"

"No."

"That's a shame, but a least no one will miss you." With that, No Face slowly began to push the knife down through the man's chest. Beast Boy could smell the panic and fear coming off the man as his breathing quickened. Slowly, the knife was pushed in. He had to do something. Ignoring the pain in his leg, he stood up, holding the table for support.

"Well, this should be interesting, are you going to stop me?" asked No Face. With this, Beast Boy transformed into a wolf. "So you can still transform. Were you holding out on me before?" Before Beast Boy could pounce, his bad leg buckled under him. Suddenly, No Face plunged the knife in the rest of the way into the man and walked away from Beast Boy.

"A valiant effort, but you can't save everybody," he said as he stood in the door frame, "your type is doomed to failure. You have to be perfect every time, I just be successful once." With this, Beast Boy lunged at No Face, but because of his leg, it was a weak jump. No Face moved to the side, grabbed the scruff of Beast Boy's neck, and threw him against the wall across the room. As he slid down the wall, Beast Boy whimpered in his wolf form. Between the wound in his leg and the throbbing in his head, he no longer had the energy to transform back or fight.

"You assume that superheroes are invincible. You aren't. You can't even protect yourself," with that, No Face exited the room as Beast Boy finally succumbed to unconsciousness.

* * *

The Titans were loading back up into the SWAT truck with Chief Ryan. Raven was shocked, she had never known the police chief to cuss so much. The same was true with Robin. She was very upset as well, but still. The verbal display was a bit much. Thankfully, it had died down. Both men were sulking, though Starfire was fawning over Robin. After all he was hurt.

At this, Raven sighed. She knew Beast Boy was safe. After all, he was in a police station. Not even No Face would invade a police station.

"Dammit all, and damn him to hell!" Ryan's outburst shocked the Titans. He had been quiet for awhile, "First, this No Face debacle, and now I can't raise the station! Damn radio, damn rookie operator!"

Raven sat up. It couldn't be. But if No Face was anything, he was daring.

"Robin, I'm teleporting to the station," she said.

"Why?"

"You know damn well why," she shot back. She couldn't articulate it—the idea that No Face got to Beast Boy again.

Robin sighed, "Fine, whatever." That was what Raven needed. Creating a hole of black energy in the van, she stepped through it.

Raven stepped out of the portal into the main lobby of the police station. It was eerily quiet. Normally, such a sudden appearance would shock someone. However, there were no gasps. She didn't even sense any emotions.

Cautiously, she made her way to the empty front desk. Looking over it, she couldn't help but gasp. There lay the officer on duty, his chair tipped over and a hole in his head. Turning around quickly, she ran down the hall that led to the interrogation room. Entering it, she gasped and took a step back. She saw the man in the chair, his head tilted back and face contorted into an expression of pain. Blood was smeared around the floor and the wall, and she saw the psychiatrist lying on the floor. But what drew her attention was a soft whimper from the far wall. Moving past the table, she saw a green wolf lying on the floor.

"Beast Boy!" she cried as she ran over to him. She noticed that there was a bullet wound in its left leg. Gently putting her hands on the wolf's side, she whispered, "Beast Boy." In response, she got a soft whimper. She hated it. Beast Boy never whimpered, it was very disconcerting.

Moving her hands over the wound, she began to try to repair what she could. It wasn't much, this was a very serious wound, but hopefully, it would help ease the pain.

"I'll kill him," she muttered to herself. Suddenly, she heard the beeping of her communicator.

"What?" she asked, a bit too sharply, even for her.

"I'm guessing that not everything is fine," Robin asked.

"No, the everyone left in the station is dead, and Beast Boy is badly injured," Raven replied.

"Shit!" Raven heard a similar invective from Chief Ryan as well. She was upset to. She saw this coming, almost predicted it.

"Just hurry, and bring an ambulance," she said. Moving up to Beast Boy's head, she gently raised it and set it in her lap.

"Don't worry," she said, "their coming, you're going to be ok." She lovingly stroked the fur as tears began to leak out of her eyes. She just couldn't help herself. The thought that a madman was after her Beast Boy, would do all that he did to get to him, scared her more than she would ever admit. A soft whimper made her look down and find an emerald eye looking up at her.

"It'll be fine, Beast Boy, I'm hear," she swore she saw a smile tug at the wolf's mouth. He must be really tired if he couldn't transform back into his human form. After another couple of minutes, she heard the sounds of sirens and eventually, the door to the station slam open. She sighed, some of the worry had now left her. She realized that she was exhausted, physically and emotionally. It would be nice to allow someone else to take responsibility for once. All she could focus on was the feeling of Beast Boy's surprisingly soft fur underneath her hand and the thought that, in another context, this would be a very pleasant activity.


End file.
